diff --git a/monitor.py b/monitor.py
index 407299e..5c984a2 100644
--- a/monitor.py
+++ b/monitor.py
@@ -266,7 +266,11 @@ def add_hb_peer(_peer_conf, _ctable_loc, _peer):
     else:
        _ctable_peer['CALLSIGN'] = _peer_conf['CALLSIGN']
     
-    _ctable_peer['COLORCODE'] = _peer_conf['COLORCODE'].decode('utf-8')
+    if str(type(_peer_conf['COLORCODE'])).find("bytes") != -1:
+       _ctable_peer['COLORCODE'] = _peer_conf['COLORCODE'].decode('utf-8').strip()
+    else:    
+       _ctable_peer['COLORCODE'] = _peer_conf['COLORCODE']
+    
     _ctable_peer['CONNECTION'] = _peer_conf['CONNECTION']
     _ctable_peer['CONNECTED'] = since(_peer_conf['CONNECTED'])
     _ctable_peer['IP'] = _peer_conf['IP']